Hi Dr. Laura,
I'm listening to you in China via podcast. I listen to you all over the world! You are my travel buddy. I teach Business/English at a university in Nanchang, China.
I wanted to give you the update on China's one child policy. As of 2012, families here can have two children if both parents are only children. There are a lot of families out and about with two little ones now. Most moms we know don't raise their children. Either grandparents or day cares do. Very sad indeed. In China, the government doesn't "get people" if they have more than one child. If local Chinese people here don't follow the rules about having children, then they will get fined and the government will not support their children with education and such. Foreign people can have as many children as they wish, even if they are married to a local person. They just can't rely on the government for money to raise the child.
Before Mao, families usually had around 10 to 12 children, since they were mostly farmers. Mao changed the rules because the country couldn't support that many people.
Sincerely,
Paula
